I try to follow and apply all those ballistic programs, plus input from shooters who say this or that works. But I still go through the load testing of various bullets and powders to see what a particular gun likes. Sometimes what isn't supposed to work, works great for no particular reason.
I've had a lot of people tell me a 300-350 gr. bullet wont hit anything past 500 yds., at least not consistently. But they sure work for my guns, and have a couple friends who have also tried them in their .40's and had great results. They sure take less powder, and give less recoil, so that's just another benefit of the lighter bullets.
